SINGAPORE, 16 February 2020 – NEO Aeronautics, Science Centre Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) today jointly announced the launch of the Aeronautics and Astronautics 2020 Programme to encourage the nation’s younger generation to get involved with STEM, Innovation and Enterprise.
At the launch of the Astronautics and Aeronautics 2020 Programme were (seated from left to right): Prof Chua Kee Chaing, Deputy President (Academic) and Provost, SIT; Minister Ong Ye Kung; Dr Yeoh Lean Weng, President of Institution of Engineers Singapore; (standing from left to right): Mr Daniel Tan Teck Meng, Senior Director, Projects & Exhibitions, Science Centre Singapore; Prof Neo Kok Beng, Founder and CEO, NEO Aeronautics, and Mr Sia Kheng York, Chief Executive of the Association of Aerospace Industries, Singapore.
Cultivating an interest and passion in STEM
The objectives of this programme are two-fold. The first is to encourage and excite the younger generation to brainstorm, innovate and develop smart mobility solutions, in line with Singapore’s vision to be a Smart Nation and a leading economy in digital innovation.
The second is to inspire a generation passionate in STEM, through Astronautics dreams, to be critical thinkers and problem solvers to help our nation navigate through the challenges ahead.
Framework and Target Audience
With a holistic and engaging framework, participants can look forward to gaining critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills throughout the duration of the programme. The programme is tailored to allow its participants to explore various areas of STEM with the guidance of industry and academic professionals.
The Aeronautics and Astronautics 2020 programme is targeted at students from secondary school to tertiary levels.
By being the key facilitator for the Aeronautics & Astronautics 2020 Programme,Science Centre Singapore will develop course and module content for the programme. It will also host seminars, workshops and other unique events to create outreach for both students and the public.
“Singapore has done well in adopting emerging technologies and innovating new ones. To sustain the creative power in our ecosystem, constantly igniting curiosity and passion for STEM among our youth is of strategic importance. It is also core to the ethos of Science Centre Singapore as we serve as a platform to help develop STEM talents in Singapore. It is therefore our privilege to be part of the launch of The Aeronautics and Astronautics 2020 programme. As students learn and get excited about flight and space-travel, we seek to unlock a world of limitless possibilities. Through this collective effort, we hope to inspire a generation passionate in STEM, with particular focus on Aero-sciences. This also ties well with our Drone Odyssey initiative that the Centre championed in 2017, borne out of a rapid emergence of unmanned aerial systems as a game-changing and disruptive technology. It is very evident now in its growing integration within industries,” said Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore.
“As a University of Applied Learning, SIT is pleased to contribute to the Aeronautics and Astronautics 2020 programme by offering bite-size online modules and organising educational talks, seminars and workshops for participants. SIT will also engage our undergraduate students to be facilitators and ambassadors of STEM,” said Professor Chua Kee Chaing, Deputy President (Academic) and Provost, SIT.
SIT currently offers over 20 degree programmes in various engineering fields, developed through extensive consultation with industry and supported by partners such as SIA Engineering Company and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. Its suite of degree programmes for the aviation sector includes Aerospace Engineering, Aircraft Systems Engineering and Air Transport Management, taught by faculty with a wealth of academic and industry expertise. Students are trained to be deep specialists in their respective engineering disciplines to meet industry’s manpower and innovation needs.
NEO Aeronautics has a strong aerospace engineering background with combined experience in piloting (both private aircraft and drones), avionics system, software design and aeronautical engineering. It is the first company in Singapore to design and manufacture personal aerial vehicles with the latest reveal of their second personal aerial vehicle model, Crimson S8-SR.
“Our social mission is to raise STEM awareness for 100,000 youth through INNOVATE TO INSPIRE. Beyond science, we will inject innovation and entrepreneurial spirit through hackathons and venture incubation,” said Neo Kok Beng, Founder and CEO, NEO Aeronautics.
About NEO Aeronautics
NEO Aeronautics is an innovation-driven technology company with a vision to empower individuals and communities in their urban mobility. We partner local communities; authorities, academics institutions and schools, to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through outreach programmes. We build personal aerial vehicle, manned and unmanned, that is safe, reliable and affordable. We are a global citizen based in Singapore.
For more information, please visit www.neo-aeronautics.com
About Science Centre Singapore
Science Centre Singapore, a non-formal educational institution and leading regional Science Centre, along with its group of attractions, brings out the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through its unique blend of exhibitions, educational programmes and events. A custodian of creativity and innovation, Science Centre Singapore has captured the evolution of scientific developments for nearly four decades.
The Centre and its partners have played a pivotal role in transforming the way students and the public interact with and learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Since 1997, the Centre has welcomed over 30 million visitors and inspired them with more than 1,000 exhibits spread across 14 exhibition galleries and outdoor exhibition spaces.
The Centre’s group of attractions include Omni-Theatre, Snow City and KidsSTOP™. The Omni-Theatre is an immersive dual-technology edutainment destination fitted with Southeast Asia’s largest seamless dome screen and featuring the latest and brightest 8k digital fulldome system in the world. Snow City is Singapore’s only permanent indoor snow centre offering an Arctic inspired experience at Singapore’s first ice gallery and snow chamber. KidsSTOP™ - Where every child gets to Imagine, Experience, Discover and Dream - is Singapore’s first children’s science centre offering an enriching experience through purposeful play for children aged 18 months to 8 years old.
For more information, please visit www.science.edu.sg.
About Singapore Institute of Technology
Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is Singapore’s university of applied learning. It aims to be a leader in innovative university education by integrating learning, industry and community as part of its unique pedagogy. Partnering world-class universities, SIT offers applied degree programmes targeted at growth sectors of the economy. SIT also aims to cultivate in its students four distinctive traits, or the SIT-DNA, which will prepare them to be ‘thinking tinkerers’, who are ‘able to learn, unlearn and relearn’, be ‘catalysts for transformation’ who are ‘grounded in the community’.
Established in 2009, SIT currently has six distributed campuses, with its main campus in SIT@Dover. SIT became an autonomous university in 2014 and is expected to move to its new centralised campus in Punggol in 2023. The future campus will be part of the Punggol Digital District, and will feature a Campus Boulevard, which will connect residents to the waterfront and Coney Island.
For more information, visit www.SingaporeTech.edu.sg.
